Senate District 31 Casework Guide
(Download this guide in PDF format)
If you need assistance with a Texas state agency, the Offices of Senator Sparks can help you navigate the processes, address the bureaucracy, and advocate on your behalf.
How can Senator Sparks help in this capacity?
The top priority of Senator Sparks' offices, both in the Capitol (Austin) and the District (Amarillo, Big Spring, and Midland/Odessa), is to serve the constituents who call District 31 home. Our goal is to provide quality and thorough, yet swift assistance to the residents of Senate District 31 when they experience an issue with state-related matters. A firm reminder, our office does not handle Federal issues. A list further down on this document provides clarification between Federal and State agency issues. Our office will initiate an inquiry with the relevant state agency and provide the supporting documentation provided to us by our constituent.
Note: Senator Sparks' offices cannot guarantee the outcome in any constituent matter, we will ensure a fair and timely review of the casework request(s).
Our office is available to assist our constituents with a range of state government matters, including but not limited to:
- Child and Adult Protective Services
- Child Support
- Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Benefits
- Driver's License and Identification
- Food Stamps (SNAP)
- Medicaid
- Professional Licensing
- State Licensed Facilities
- Unemployment Insurance
- Vital Statistics / Vaccine Forms - General Health and Human Services
- State-agency grants
- Texas Employees Retirement System
- Texas Workforce Commission
What information do you need to provide, and how?
Before submitting a formal inquiry with a state agency on a constituent's behalf, our office would need to receive a signed Constituent Information and Privacy Release Form (located at the top of this webpage) which allows our casework staff to inquire with the agency or request information regarding a constituent matter. The form must be signed by the person directly affected, and it must contain all pertinent information, including:
- Constituent's Full Legal Name
- Address
- Contact Information (Phone Number and Email)
- The State Entity associated with the case / claim number
- A description of the issue and the type of assistance requested
As a matter of office policy, if a Privacy Release Form and the required documents are not completed and submitted to our office within 30 days, our office will close the constituent case in our internal Constituent Management System (CMS).
Should a constituent continue to require assistance with a state agency on the same or different matter they can contact our office to request assistance and open a new case.
How long will it take to process your case? Can the Senator expedite your case?
The situation or nature of the casework request will dictate the time it takes to resolve the issues outlined in the privacy release form. Although our office cannot guarantee a time, our office will maintain regular communication regarding timely updates with both the constituent casework requestor and the pertinent state agency.
Can the Office of Senator Sparks help with a federal or local issue?
As a state office, we are only able to assist in matters under the jurisdiction of the state government, not local or federal (i.e., City Council of Midland or U.S. Department of Agriculture, respectively). However, if the constituent matter or inquiry does not fall within the jurisdiction of the state, our office can help the constituent connect with the appropriate jurisdiction over the matter or inquiry.
Disclaimer [Please READ]:
The personnel of Senator Sparks' offices cannot:
- Force a state agency to act in your favor or guarantee expediting your case.
- Provide legal advice or recommend an attorney.
- Overturn or influence matters involving private businesses.
- Intervene with federal issues.
- This office cannot legally get involved with pending litigation, including questions about criminal trials or imprisonment, child custody issues, deportation proceedings and civil lawsuits. This office cannot overturn or in any way influence a court’s decision.
What if your case is currently in court or legal in nature?
The ethics rules governing the Texas Senate, and its Members, prohibit state Senators elected to the Legislature from intervening in or influencing the outcome of any case under the jurisdiction of any legal dispute. In addition, we cannot office any legal advice or recommend an attorney. Included is a list of non-profit legal-aid organizations that may be able to assist the constituent with a matter legal in nature.
For legal assistance, the constituent may refer to:
Texas Lawyer Referral Service (www.txlrs.org) or (888) 635-6050
- Amarillo, TX phone number: (806) 375-4400
- Midland, TX phone number: (432) 348-4400
**This is a free service and a non-profit community organization.
Please reference this list below for counties that Senator Sparks has assigned to his different District Directors. If you live in a county that is assigned to a specific office, please use the Constituent Information and Privacy Release form that is designated for that office. For example, if you live in Andrews County, then you will contact the Midland Office and use the Privacy Release Form for the Midland Office.